


Chance Encounters

by la_vie_musicale



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Altered Universe, F/M, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_vie_musicale/pseuds/la_vie_musicale
Summary: During an important treaty summit at Tenebrae, Aranea Highwind has found herself representing Niflheim. Expecting the trip to be as boring as death, she is surprised to meet Ignis Scientia, who she quickly dubs 'Specs'.Ignis, who has kept a one track mind when it came to the wellbeing of both Lucis and Noctis, is bewildered by the boldness of the envoy of Niflheim who has forced her way into his life, at least for the duration of the summit.Is it even worth it to keep away from each other?
Relationships: Aranea Highwind/Ignis Scientia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Kudos: 7





	Chance Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> A couple notes! 
> 
> 1\. This is actually my first HighSpecs story, which I wrote for a friend! Let me know what you think!  
> 2\. I figured this story would be considered an Altered Universe. Eos on the whole is still the same, but there are slight differences between game Eos and the Eos in this story (obviously, lol). I thought I'd give it a try with this fic!

Aranea sat herself down at the bar stool and ordered herself a glass of whiskey, sighing when she was sure she was alone. She still didn’t understand why she had to be here to witness the joining of two countries through that pretty boy Prince Noctis and that goody two-shoes Princess Lunafreya. She only took the job of envoy for Niflheim because it paid way more gil than her original contracted role as a high profile merc. If she were being honest, she still saw herself in a contracted role. And she knew why she was actually here. Niflheim was becoming more and more aggressive in it’s whole “new world power” schtick, and they wanted a woman on the inside. She figured it was because they knew she wasn’t really loyal to anyone but herself, they could pay her to do a little extra.

No surprise that it worked.

“This is the most boring assignment I’ve been on ever…”

When Aranea finally got her overpriced drink, she picked it up and stared at the glass. She just wanted this to be over, but she was scheduled to be there for another two weeks. Not only that, she was required to send an update every day. What her superiors didn’t understand was that NOTHING was happening other than long boring talks that she only got brief summaries about and the prince and princess awkwardly stealing glances at each other. So cute she could throw up. 

She took a sip and sighed again as she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She knew it was Niflheim. Her superiors could wait for her to at least finish a drink. As she ignored the hum of the hotel bar, she felt the presence of someone sitting next to her. Glancing over, she saw a slightly familiar face. His dirty blond hair was slicked back, revealing his long and honestly handsome face. He was dressed in what she assumed were the royal suits from Insomnia complete with a long black overcoat. He was matching with all the other people who came with them, excluding the prince. But the main draw of him was his glasses. For some reason, they just fit him perfectly.

“Well, if it isn’t Specs.” Aranea said before taking another swig of her drink. “Didn’t peg you as a barhopper.”

The man turned to her, slightly surprised by her conversation starter. He watched as she raised her glass at him.

“I beg your pardon. But my name is Ignis.”

“Yeah, think I’m gonna stick with Specs. It fits you better.”

“Well, if I’m not mistaken you’re Ms. Aranea Highwind, envoy to the Niflheim government. I remember you sitting in on some of the meetings. I must say, it was a bit of a surprise to see that they were so willing to send a spokesperson of the empire.”

“Yeah, well… Niflheim feels like it has to be in everyone’s business all the time. Comes with the territory I guess.” Aranea replied with a wry smile. She took another sip as she watched her new drinking partner order an Espresso Martini. Briefly she wondered why he would need caffeine at 10 PM, but realized that she got this far in life by minding her own business.

“Well, they are aware that they won’t be getting as much information as they think that they will be getting, correct?”

“They don’t care. I’ve tried to tell them time and time again. But they keep insisting that any information is good information. So, I tell them the little bit that I find out and call it a day.”

She watched as Ignis’s eyebrows raised. But in all honesty, she had told a lot more for a lot less. This is what happens when you don’t respect your employer. You tell all their secrets to an admittedly handsome stranger.

“And you’re telling me all this?”

“What can I say? My boss kind of sucks. But the gil’s good so what can you do?”

Ignis took another sip of his martini as he watched her lean her head on her hand. Niflheim must have had a lot of trust in her for some reason. She didn’t seem like the type to hide her feelings for anything, and her open disdain couldn’t have been overlooked.

“Have you been working for them long?”

“About… two and a half years? Kind rose up in the ranks fast and now they trust me with espionage. But I’m sure we both know that wasn’t a great idea.”

Ignis made a noise of confirmation and the sound of the bar behind them started to take over the silence. But even though they weren’t saying anything, there was something comforting about not drinking alone. Aranea finished her drink in silence and placed some gil next to her empty cup, causing Ignis to look in her direction. She stood up and stretched, giving Ignis a smirk.

“Well, it was fun while it lasted, Specs. But I must be going.”

“Wait. Before you go.”

Aranea felt herself sigh roughly as she cocked her hip to one side. “You’re getting in the way of my beauty sleep. This better be important.”

“Trust me, it is. I just ask that you keep your espionage away from Prince Noctis.”

“And if I don’t?”

“We’d have to come to blows, I’m afraid.” He replied easily, his green eyes meeting her own. She felt her lips curl up into a smirk. 

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Specs.” She heard him chuckle slightly before returning his attention to his drink. She honestly wasn’t expecting any of those Lucis pretty boys to be interesting in the least, but hey. She was always open to surprises. Plus she found a decent bar in Tenebrae which she thought was going to be impossible. Still… two weeks in a place that looked like it was straight out of a postcard was not her idea of a good time…

Ignis returned to the suite that he was made to stay in. Upon opening the door, he was faced with two other men in the common area of their hotel room. A blond man was sitting on the fancy couch, and was looking intently at the viewfinder of his digital camera, and next to him was a large muscular man with dark hair watching the news.

They both looked up at the entrance of their room when the door closed before returning to their previous tasks. “Hey, Iggy! Where’d you run off too?” The blond man asked, still focused on his camera.

“I thought it would be interesting to look around Tenebrae. Surprisingly, I found a nice bar and even more surprisingly, I found the liaison for Niflheim.”

“Oh! You mean that gorgeous girl with the silver hair?” The blond man exclaimed, finally properly looking up from his camera. Ignis readjusted his glasses with a sigh. 

“Yes, Prompto, that’s the one.”

“Man, why didn’t you call me or something? I would’ve loved to start a conversation with her! Right Gladio?”

The man next to him continued to stare at the TV. “You’re on your own, lover boy.”

Ignis cleared his voice, letting him take command of the conversation again. “Is Noct around?”

“Nah, he went out with Lady Lunafreya I think.” Gladio responded decisively. Ignis nodded his head and gathered his thoughts.

“I think that’s for the best. I must tell you, I had a conversation with Ambassador Aranea. She said some… concerning things.”

“What kinds of things?” Gladio responded, turning off the TV. If there was something that was possibly endangering Noctis, then he needed to know. 

“Apparently, she’s been told by Niflheim to get as much information about the treaty and subsequent marriage as possible. Now this could be government curiosity, but-”

“Niflheim has never just been curious about anything.” Gladio finished, causing Ignis to nod with a serious face. Niflheim had not become a world power just by sitting on the sidelines, and it had been known for a long time that they were constantly trying to move the goal post. 

“I don’t know how to take this information. But she did show open disdain towards her employer and was open to me about how she barely got any usable information.”

“So, what do we do?” Prompto questioned, worriedly looking between the other men. Gladio sighed and stood up to stretch.

“We keep doing what we’ve been doing. We protect Noct. Ignis, if she gives you anything else to go on, just let us know. Also, I think it best to keep this from Noct. With everything else going on, as well as his engagement being so publicized… I’m sure this is the last thing that he’d want to worry about.”

“Sure thing!” Prompto said cheerfully. “Though I think it would be great if I were the one to start the conversations with Lady Aranea! I mean, I do have a more approachable face. We can all agree on that right?”

Gladio rolled his eyes and walked to a room that branched off from the living room and closed his door. Ignis simply fixed his glasses before doing the same thing, leaving Prompto alone with his camera again. Prompto rolled his eyes as he started looking at the viewfinder again.

“Well, I thought it made sense…”

The next morning, Ignis made his way out of his hotel room. He readjusted his glasses, fixing this usually slicked back dirty blond hair as it fell into his eyes. Looking at his watch that read 05:00, he knew that this would be the only time of the day where he would get a somewhat decent workout into his schedule. With political meetings peppered throughout his schedule all day, he would barely have any time to breathe.

He tied his running shoes tighter and found the front door of the lavish hotel they were staying in. Immediately he was hit with the scent of fresh foliage, and the scenery of an area that had been partially reclaimed by Mother Nature. It was amazing how even in the Fall, the greenery was so overwhelming. It was the exact opposite of the Crown City. Even though he was working, it was a nice chance of pace. 

Ignis found an area away from the entrance and began stretching and couldn’t help but let his mind wander to Aranea. She was just too much of a wildcard to just ignore. And with her being so blatant about her true reason for being here, he didn’t really know what was going on in her head.

“That’s a serious face you got there, Specs. Looks like you're thinking hard about something.”

Ignis looked up from his stretching and found Aranea walking up to him, readjusting her silver ponytail and wiping sweat from her forehead. She watched as he straightened out his white shirt, slightly surprised that he didn’t wear at least a blazer even when running. From the first couple of days of meetings, he was dressed even better than the prince.

“Well, I am a strategist and analyst. It’s one of my past times.”

“Don’t tell me you were thinking of little old me.”

“You did tell me some important information. Part of my job is taking all the intel I gather and making a concrete plan. That’s all.”

“Oh is that so? Well then, I’ll let you in on a secret: Last night, I told you that because I wanted to. There was no plan, no end game. I mean, yeah they pay me well, but that’s all they got going for them, you know? Other than that, they can rot in Hell for all I care.”

“You have such strong feelings against your employer.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you don’t get tired of your job babysitting the little prince.”

Ignis chuckled as he started stretching again. “I don’t. There are… challenging times, I will admit. But I wouldn’t trade my job for anything. I also see him as a close friend and confidant. So I will stay with him as long as I’m needed.”

“Geeze. I guess I just can’t relate.”

“I admit I’m in a very unique position.” Ignis said as he continued to stretch. Aranea noted that despite how skinny he looked, he had some muscle on him. Maybe he was more than an advisor to the prince? He did seem awfully protective of him, and he even said that he’d fight her if anything happened. Maybe he really was stronger than he looked. It almost made her want to challenge him to a fight…

“So, do you always get up this early?”

“Well, it’s one of the only times I get to myself. I use it to prepare for my day, as I usually don’t have much time due to my duties.”

“Ever think of taking the day off? We can play hooky together.”

She laughed as Ignis raised an eyebrow at her suggestion and crossed her arms. “Come on, Specs! I was just kidding. At least sort of.”

“Well, I appreciate the offer. But I’m far too busy at the moment to take a day off. Especially with how important this summit is.”

“You can’t just keep working nonstop. It’s not healthy.” Aranea said as she cocked her hip to the side. She could tell that he wasn’t quite listening, and assumed that he was one of those one track mind kind of guys.

“Well, my work-life balance has been fine up until now. But I thank you for your concern.”

“Suit yourself. I guess I’ll see you later.”

Ignis nodded and watched as she went into the hotel he had just exited and sighed. She really was a wildcard, and he didn’t know how to get a read on her. As he started running, the path he followed was decorated with trees and grass of different colors. Fall was starting to take it’s hold, and the crisp morning air gave him a chance to think. Maybe he would need to shift how he approached Aranea. Maybe the best way to take her would be at face value. While he was sure she was good at hiding things, he didn’t feel as though she was hiding anything now. Maybe he was worried for nothing, but he knew he couldn’t take the chance of lowering his guard. Especially around her.

A few hours of sightseeing through his jog, he returned to the hotel. He had to admit that he was slightly disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to enjoy much more of the beautiful weather. And despite himself, in the back of his mind, Aranea’s idea of skipping for a day lingered.

Upon returning to his room, he found Gladio and Prompto stumbling around the room, along with a third member sitting on the couch with his head slumped down. His dark hair fell over his face and Ignis could hear slight snoring coming from him and he chuckled. This was not exactly the picture most people had of a prince. 

Ignis pushed up his glasses and made his way to the kitchen in their hotel room. “Good morning, everyone. What are we thinking for breakfast?”

“Bacon…” Came Gladio’s low rumbling voice. 

“That’s all? Are you going to make it to lunch with just bacon?”

Gladio gave a half awake grunt as Ignis continued to take out ingredients from the refrigerator. He turned to find Prompto next to him waiting to get orange juice. 

“Prompto, would you mind waking up Noct? He usually has an idea of what he wants for breakfast.”

“You got it, Mama Ignis…”

Ignis heard Prompto whisper something to Noctis and caught him immediately jerk his head up and yawn. Well whatever he had said clearly worked and he cleared his throat.

“Good morning, Prince Noctis! Maybe you’d be willing to tell me what you want to eat before our day’s worth of meetings?”

“A breakfast burrito…”

Ignis almost wanted to argue that he could make something much more balanced, but he knew he still needed to get lunch ready. Because Noctis was so picky with his food, he wasn’t willing to try the local cuisine. It didn’t help to ask him, either, because he would give the excuse that his cooking “tasted like home.” It was flattering, but definitely put more on his plate. He’d have to teach him at least the basics before he got married off… At least he could keep his mind on cooking as opposed to the mysterious envoy from Niflheim who kept creeping into his mind.

The rest of the morning was almost a blur, as the quartet rushed to get ready for the meetings that had been scheduled.They made their way to the large Fenestala Manor in the center of Tenebrae, where all royalty of the land had lived before. The walls held large golden trimmed windows that looked out to the garden that held still blue sylleblossoms. Noctis had said before how they were his favorite thing about Tenebrae and Ignis could see why. The large hallways of the castle led them to a meeting room, where important figures from both kingdoms all of which looked incredibly serious. Ignis scanned the crowd and only one face stood out.

Aranea had watched as they came in, all four of them looking incredibly professional. But she had to be honest, she only really had interest for one in particular. She noticed how Ignis looked around and when their eyes met, she gave a smirk and a small wave. He simply nodded in response, which seemed like something he would do. Granted, they had only had two conversations, but she was starting to get a pretty good read on him. Maybe she would get another chance to talk to him. He was entertaining.

She watched as the prince made his way to the princess. Her blonde hair was braided ornately into a ponytail and she was dressed in a white dress decorated with a badge over her arm. She figured it was the insignia of Tenebrae. Not too far from them was a taller man also dressed in white with almost white blond hair who was staring daggers at Prince Noctis. She figured he was the famous Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret. 

Ignis should have been more worried about him than herself…

The first half of the day passed slowly and painfully, if Aranea were to describe it. She and other witnesses were given a quick rundown of the previous day’s resolutions, an itinerary of what would be decided on later, and were then rushed out to a sort of waiting room while the real meeting took place. She found a seat in the waiting room that overlooked what looked like a garden of sylleblossoms letting herself be distracted by whatever passed by. But finally they could at least break for lunch. She would have her own meeting to go to after lunch after getting an idea brief summary of what was decided. Then she, along with the other envoys from other countries would have to explain how their governments would respond. It was all just so much of a drag. But at least lunch was soon and she could focus on that.

People poured out of the meeting room and she found herself looking for the group from Lucis. They were close to the last to leave the room, but she noticed that it looked as though Ignis was holding something that looked like a lunch box. What, did they bring their own lunches? 

Aranea ended up following the crowd of people to the set up cafeteria where lunch menus were set up for all visitors, but she noticed as the group of four that Ignis had come in with looked like they were eating sandwiches that looked even more appetizing than what was being served by the kitchen with a side of something from a thermos. They did bring their own food! And why did it look so good? Maybe they brought their own chef with them… She had to be honest though: she was a little jealous.

When she got her own plate, she figured that the best place to find a seat would be at the table that held the prince. If she were being honest, they were the most interesting people at this summit and she really wanted to see what they were eating. And possibly how she could get some.

Prompto looked up from his sandwich, checking the room for all the people. Though, he almost had a vice grip on his sandwich as he watched Aranea walk towards their table. He hit Noctis’ arm in quick succession, still keeping his eyes on Aranea.

“Hey, what are you doing?? That hurts!”

“That Aranea chick is coming this way! What do we do??”

Ignis glanced at Gladio, who gave him a slightly concerned and serious look. Ignis simply shrugged before taking another bite of his sandwich. If she were there to start trouble they would deal with it, but it would be unwise to make a scene out of nowhere. Plus, even though it had been a couple conversations, he figured he had built a sort of rapport with her. 

Ignis watched as she stood in front of the table, holding her tray carefully in front of her with a smirk. 

“Hello boys. I was wondering if you had room at the cool kids’ table for me.”

“The uh… cool kids’ table?” Prompto asked with a slight quiver in his voice. Noctis could tell he was trying to sound cool, but it definitely didn’t come off that way. He looked at the woman in front of their group, keeping a stoic look.

“Why would you want to sit with us?” Noctis asked as he placed his sandwich down in front of him.

“Like I said, this is the cool kids’ table. Plus, you guys look like you have way better food than what I got and I was curious. So, are you just gonna keep me waiting?”

Noctis gestured towards the empty chair that was at their table and watched as she started on her lunch. He kept glancing at her somewhat nervously, which amused her.

“Look, Prince. You don’t have to be so nervous. I may work for Niflheim, but I have nothing against you. I’m just here representing my dumb bosses.”

“Oh yeah?” Noctis questioned. The way he responded made Aranea think that Specs may not have told him everything that they had talked about. And again, she knew how to keep her mouth shut and stay out of other people’s business.

“Yeah. But let’s not talk about political stuff. Not really my style. What really brought me over was your nice looking lunch. Where did you get that?”

“Ignis here made it.” Gladio responded, before taking another bite of his sandwich.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah! The man’s basically a wizard in the kitchen!” Prompto said, smiling at Ignis. “Honestly, there’s nothing he can’t do. I mean, except taking amazing photographs like I do. Maybe… You’d want to see them? They’re pretty amazing, if I do say so myself…”

“Maybe next time. But I appreciate the enthusiasm.” Aranea said as she leaned her head on her hand. She then turned her attention back to Ignis. “So, you’re the one behind this spread, huh Specs? And here I thought you had brought a personal chef.”

“I know my way around the kitchen. I’ve had to learn to be self sufficient.”

Aranea gave a coy smile. “Well isn’t that something? What do I have to do to get a lunch made for me? I can pay you.”

Ignis readjusted his glasses, thinking to himself. It was honestly a little strange for someone to take such an interest in his cooking, but it was also something that made him swell with pride. 

“I don’t need your money. If you can find me ingredients, I can make something. But, you have to eat whatever it is I make, as I only take requests from these three.”

“Fine. We’ll go shopping tonight then.” Aranea said, her smirk not leaving her face. “I’ll let you know that I’m hard to please.”

Gladio looked between the two of them and was honestly shocked. Was Ignis… flirting? He’d never seen it before, but he was pretty sure that’s what was happening. And with a liaison from Niflheim no less. Granted, she didn't seem like the typical Nif. He also kept in mind that Ignis had said that she wasn't super into working for Niflheim but that didn't change the fact that she worked for them. 

Lunch finished at the end of the hour, and to the surprise of all four Lucians, Aranea had spent her whole break with their group. What was even more surprising was how seamlessly she melded with them. And that caught all of them off guard. This is probably what made her so good at her job…

“Well, I guess it’s time to return to the droning. Meet me in front of the castle, Specs. We can go shopping afterwards.”

Aranea gave a wave before making her way towards the meeting room again. Ignis readjusted his glasses and sighed. She seemed to be much more than he was used to, but she was- dare he say- fun. He felt Gladio put his large hand on her shoulder and turned to him.

“Yes?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you actually flirt before.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Come on, man. I know flirting when I see it. I’ve been around the block a few times. Just watch yourself with a Nif, man. They can be tricky…”

Ignis turned his head to hide his embarrassment. He wasn’t flirting! At least, he wasn’t trying to flirt. But he was surprised at how easy she was to talk to. And how open she was to just give information about a potential adversary. But Gladio was right. He’d have to keep his eyes on her.

Aranea found herself leaning on the wall outside of the castle. She had to admit she was excited to go shopping for food. While they had only been in Tenebrae for a couple days, she hadn’t really had a good meal in awhile. Niflheim was a cold empire, not really known for anything but oppression to be honest. So she stuck with instant dinners and bottled drinks. They were honestly the only safe thing anyways.

Ignis stepped out of the castle and bid goodbye to Gladio and Prompto. Noctis had been requested to stay behind by Lady Lunafreya, which wasn’t a surprise. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and keeping a relationship alive through only letters was an admirable achievement in and of itself. After Gladio had given another warning that he felt was unnecessary, he found Aranea waiting patiently.

“Hey there, Specs. Ready to go?”

“If you are. Now, shall we? I don’t have to remind you that we’re on a time limit.”

Aranea started walking forwards, closing the distance between herself and Ignis before the two of them walked away from the castle. “You’d think there wouldn’t be too big of an issue with daemons here, with how perfect it seems…” Aranea said with a deep sigh.

“Yes well, it may have to do with how separated Tenebrae is compared to a city like Lestallum or Hammerhead. It can give you a false sense of ease.”

“Are those Lucis cities?”

“Yes, with the added benefit of being safe havens. They keep people secure during night time excursions with specialised flood lights.”

“Sounds much better than what they have in Niflheim. They kind of just focus on the people reinforcing their own property against daemons. There are strict curfews that people just go with so they don’t get hurt. It’s kind of ridiculous.”

“The way you describe it makes me surprised there hasn’t been a mass exodus…”

“Niflheim doesn’t really like the idea of people leaving. They’re so focused on being as great as Solheim that they don’t really care about the people. I’ll be honest, it’ll be a much better world when Niflheim falls. I think that this union will be the thing that’ll finally take it down.”

“Really? What makes you say that Niflheim will fall?”

“Come on. Do you really think that Niflheim has what it takes to sustain their ‘empire’? They can’t even take care of their own people.”

“Wouldn’t that terminate your employment?”

“I’ve had jobs before Niflheim. I’ll have jobs after Niflheim. I just haven’t found a comparable salary. But I will admit, even with the nice pay increase this job hasn’t really been the most fun I’ve had. I do miss going out on the field killing daemons.”

“Well, there are jobs where we’re from that focus just on that. You can make a good amount of money and don’t really have to answer to a dictatorship.”

“That’s one hell of a recruitment speech, Specs.”

“It’s not a recruitment speech. More like, letting you know a better option is available if you’re interested. Though I’m sure you still have too much information on Niflheim, so there’s no way they would let you leave quietly.”

“Oh you don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

“I have no doubts.” Ignis said as they reached the main town. “Well, let’s start shopping. Tell me what ingredients you like and I’ll make you something of my own devising.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I gotcha. Well, I guess we can start at the bucher. I’m in the mood for something with wings.”

An hour passed and finally they got all the ingredients that Aranea had picked out. She looked at the bags both in her hands and Ignis’s hands. She made a face and sighed as they got to their hotel. “Do you really think you can make me something out of all of these things? I mean, some of the stuff doesn't even fit well together.”

“Trust me, I know exactly what I’m doing. All you need to do is wait for me to be done.”

“If you say so. Where should I meet you for my lunch?”

“I’m sure we’ll save a seat for you at our table. There’s at least one of us who’s very eager to talk with you more. He’s quite smitten.”

“And here I was, hoping it was you.”

Ignis gave a small smile. “Well, I did say at least. Here.” He took the bags that Aranea was holding from her hands and gestured for her to enter the hotel before him. She gave a simple smile before walking in before him. They got into a surprisingly empty elevator, with a small conversation starting.

“I’ve been thinking, Specs. What you said about those jobs-”

“The Hunter jobs, yes?”

“Yeah. Those. If your food’s as good as your friends say, maybe I’ll think about switching careers. But in all honesty, there’s only one thing that would change my mind completely.”

“What’s that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe I’ll tell you before this whole thing is over.” She responded as the elevator stopped. “Well, this is my stop. Don’t forget my lunch, Specs.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Ignis waited as he was elevated to his floor, and when he entered he was surprised to see Noctis on the couch, reading what looked like a tourist magazine about Tenebrae. He looked up from the opening of the door and saw Ignis with his hands full of bags and went to help him.

“How much shopping did you guys do, Iggy? This is a lot of stuff…”

“She said she wanted all of this in a dish. I suppose she was trying to give me a challenge, but I created a recipe as we were walking back.”

“At least you enjoyed your date.”

“Now, Noct. To call it a date is an overstatement. We simply went shopping.”

“Well, she’s not like other Niflheim thugs, that’s for sure. She did nothing but talk crap about Niflheim. I can’t really get a read on her to be honest. But Prompto is completely hooked on her. Last time I checked, he was trying to find some of the best pictures he’s taken of Tenebrae.”

“Oh? And what about Cindy? I thought his heart belonged to her completely.”

“Who knows? We both know he doesn’t have a chance with either of them. But it does look like she has a thing for you.”

“A thing for me? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Gladio said she was looking at you the whole time at lunch. I didn’t really notice anything like that, but he has an eye for that stuff.”

Ignis continued to focus on organizing his ingredients on the counter. The main goal of the summit was to find an easy transition into an alliance with Tenebrae before the possible invasion of Niflheim. He preferred to keep his mind set on that. But for some reason, she kept creeping up in his brain despite himself. It was one of the rare times that he was genuinely at somewhat of a loss. 

“Gladio can say whatever he likes. And now that you’re here, you can help me at least clean the ingredients.”

He heard as Noctis gave a deep sigh before agreeing. At least with him focusing on the new recipe, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything else.

The next day’s break came somewhat quickly and Aranea searched out the Lucis group and found them at their own table along with the addition of Princess Lunafreya. She gave a smirk as she found a place at the table in between Ignis and Prompto.

“So we’re joined by the Princess today as well? How exciting. A table full of royalty.”

“Yes, well.” Lunafreya said with a smile. “I was told this was the ‘cool kids’ table. I will be honest, it’s much more fun here.” She finished smiling at Noctis, who seemed to turn pink in response. She turned to Ignis with a smirk.

“So, you got my lunch, Specs? I’ve been looking forward to it since yesterday.”

Ignis wordlessly pulled out an insulated lunch box which held a number of fried skewers. Next to them were neatly packaged rice balls that looked like they had been made by a professional chef. Aranea had to admit that it looked amazing.

“Gladio, could you do me a favor and get us plates and silverware?”

“You got it, Iggy.” 

“Ignis, do you mind if I get a closer look? I can’t believe how amazing you are at cooking!” Lunafreya said, slightly hypnotized by how good the lunch looked. He smiled. 

“Of course. And Noct here even helped me with it. I’ll whip him into shape before you get married.”

Lunafreya smiled at Noctis with an excited smile. “I’m looking forward to it, Noctis.”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up to high, Luna… I’m still barely able to make an egg…”

Aranea watched as they held their conversation continue between themselves. They spoke so gently to each other. It was almost overwhelming, if she were being honest. Almost to the point where she wanted to take her food and leave. But she’d be lying if she said a part of her wasn’t rooting for them. Especially against Niflheim.

“The two of them are pretty sweet together, if I gotta be honest.” Prompto said almost to himself. Aranea looked at him with a slightly confused face. 

“How long have they been a thing? It doesn’t seem like just a treaty relationship…”

“As far as I know, they’ve been together since he was really young. They’ve kept in touch for so long they may as well have been dating that whole time. Pretty sure they were gonna get together treaty or no treaty…”

“Well, ain’t that sweet?” She replied more forcefully than she meant. Prompto chuckled at her comment. 

“What? Not one for romance?”

“That’s not it. I’ve just never been in a position to think of something like that. I’m happy for them though.”

Gladio returned with six plates and Ignis started to dish out the food. He looked at Aranea with a slightly smug look. “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought it a good idea to make enough for everyone.”

“Well, what’s good food without company?”

“I’m glad you agree. Here you go. Prompto, please get us something to drink. Then we’ll be ready to eat.”

Prompto nodded, quickly rushing off to find something to drink for everyone. Aranea looked down at her plate, her expectations high. It looked like he really outdid himself. Maybe he was the type that really liked to get challenged. That way he could show off…

Finally, Prompto returned so they could dig in. She honestly thought that he was taking his time on purpose. All she wanted was to eat some actually good food and it seemed like no one actually shared her sentiments. 

“Well, I hope everyone enjoys the meal.”

Aranea eagerly started eating her lunch and she had to admit: that was probably the best thing she had ever eaten. She wasn’t one to get jealous, but she definitely felt it’s pangs when she thought about the fact that the Lucians got to eat this good everyday.

“What the hell, Specs? How’d you get this good at cooking?”

“A necessary skill I had to learn on the job. Right, Noct?”

“Make fun of me all you want. All of your food is good. Even when it has beans in it.”

Aranea admittedly ignored the conversations that were going on around her. She hadn’t realized how much she needed a fresh cooked meal. Yeah, the castle staff made pretty good food, but it paled in comparison to what she was eating now. She immediately started planning on how to get more of it.

“I’m assuming you’re enjoying it, Lady Aranea?”

Ignis’s smug voice came from her side, but she had to be honest, he had every right to be proud. 

“You know what, Specs? You really proved your stuff here. This is damn good. How can I get more of it?”

“I’m sorry, but that wasn’t part of the deal. We agreed on today’s lunch and that was it. And I’ve made it clear that I only take requests from specific people.”

“I guess you have a point. Well easy come, easy go.”

“I don’t mind sharing some of my food with you, Lady Aranea!” Prompto voiced. “I mean, I think it’s only gentlemanly to help a lady in need.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll figure something out eventually, even if it’s not on this trip.” She said with a smirk, directed at Ignis. It was almost like a test of wills. Before anything else could be said their break was over. Lunafreya was the first to get up, citing the fact that she had to formally start any kind of meetings along with her brother. She wished the table goodbye before walking off. 

“It may not mean much coming from me,” Aranea said after she finished off her rice ball. “But I’m hoping you guys really make it. I’m pretty sure I think this alliance could stick it to my employers.”

“And what’s it to you?” Gladio asked. “Won’t you be out of the job?”

“Well, I’ve recently heard of other job opportunities. So I figured if it doesn’t work out at Niflheim, I could expand my resume a little. But nothing’s set in stone. For now, I’m still a ‘Nif’ as you so lovingly put it. No matter how reluctant about it I am about it.”

“Well… couldn’t you just quit?” Noctis asked as he started standing up.

“I’d have to set up some stuff for me and my people. There are just some things I can’t just leave. But trust me, I’ve got a hand on the door. Also… I figured I should let you know, Prince. Anything we talk about stays between us. At least out of respect for our shared love of Specs’ food, you know? Anyways, I’ll see you inside.” She smiled putting a hand on Ignis’s shoulder before taking her plate away. 

“Man, that woman is so weird…” Gladio sighed. “All I know is that she has a thing for Iggy. But at least it doesn’t seem like she’s trying to sell us out.”

"Well, whatever the case may be, we have to stay on course."

"Come on! We can have a little bit of fun while we're here!" Prompto whined. "You're always business first!"

"I'm gonna have to make you take a day off at some point." Noctis stated as he took his plate to a drop off area. "Gotta relax some time, Ignis. Sleep in, take a tour of the city, cook something just for yourself, go on a date." 

Ignis gave a slight chuckle. He knew Noctis had a point, but he just wanted to make sure everything was perfect for the treaty. But, taking time off wouldn’t be completely crazy. Plus, it would give him the chance to actually take in how beautiful Tenebrae actually was. 

As the week passed, the summit went on with Ignis realizing how close Aranea had gotten to their group. There had even been instances when the five of them would go to dinner somewhere around Tenebrae. And because Tenebrae had a system that was similar to the Hunter system that was in Lucis, Ignis had taken it upon himself to include Aranea on hunts that he found. He realized that she was fun to be around, and had a quick wit that amused him far more than he thought it would. 

“You know, Specs,” Aranea stated as they were walking back from a particularly noteworthy hunt. “I didn’t realize you were such a skilled fighter. It makes me want to actually fight you.”

“It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. As I’ve stated before, I have acquired many skills in my employment.”

“Are you just a royal handyman or something? Can that Prince do anything for himself?”

“Of course he can. He actually goes on quite a bit of Hunts like these back at home. Gladio trains him along with Prompto everyday to make sure they stay ready. And because he’s getting married, he’s been much more interested in learning how to cook. Though, he still has a lot to learn.”

“You guys seem closer than just friends.”

“It seems that way because it is that way. We’ve known each other for a long time and we’ve become a type of family, along with Gladio and Prompto.”

“That sounds right. You guys seem to do everything together, anyways. But I guess that’s nice. It’s good to have a group you can rely on. I have a couple of people myself holding down the fort in Gralea.”

“They didn’t come with you?”

“They come if I need them. But they can take care of themselves. They’ve been with me since before I joined Niflheim and Astrals willing they’ll be with me after I leave.”

“Well, there are places in Lucis if you ever decide to look for a new place for all of you. I’m sure you could start a business for yourself as an exterminator.”

“It’d definitely be a lot less stressful and a lot more fun than the job I have now. If I’m not on assignment, I’m doing paperwork and it’s the worst thing in the world.”

Ignis chuckled. “Keeping organized is important to any part of life.”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what people say, but I don’t believe them. I’d rather just do what I want. Anyways, have you given anymore thought on playing hooky with me? It’d be a lot of fun.”

Ignis readjusted his glasses as he thought about it for a second. “Well, you’ve been asking regularly and have almost been threatened by Noctis to take a day off, so I don’t see why not. Is tomorrow okay with you?”

“You’re the only person I know that schedules a hooky day. But if that works for you then what do I need to complain about?”

Aranea waited in front of their hotel for her partner for the day. She had to be honest, she half expected Ignis to come out quickly to say that he couldn’t take the day off, but she figured she could still enjoy the day by herself. She gave a large smile when he did finally come out dressed in casual clothes, or rather casual for him, as he was dressed in what looked like a fancy peacoat, with black pants and loafers.

“So you actually got away, huh, Specs?”

“I was practically pushed away. Noctis said, and I quote, ‘I’ve been trying to get you to take a day off for years. It’s about time.’ Emphatic is not a strong enough word.”

“Well, let’s go have fun for a change! I still haven’t had a chance to look around Tenebrae as much as I’ve wanted. I’m sure there are some cool restaurants and sites. Granted, I doubt they’d be as good as your food, but how about we take a break from making you work all day?”

“Much appreciated.”

The two of them walked around the admittedly large territory. The large mountains gave incredibly fresh air, something that neither of them were fully used to. To see so much greenery in one place was odd in and of itself, but to see how people coexisted so closely with it. It was something neither of them were really used to. Ignis was completely surprised he hadn’t come here before with how fresh the ingredients had been the past few days he had been through the market shopping. The two found an outdoor cafe, where they resorted to people watching with a nice cup of hot coffee.

“Even the coffee is better here. I may have to move here as an official ambassador.”

“And Niflheim would be okay with that?”

“If I word it right, I can get whatever I want.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow as he took another sip of his coffee. “Well, that sounds ominous.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t use my power against you. I’m sure your group would see right through it anyways. Like that Gladio guy. He stays suspicious huh?”

“He does warn me every time we spend time together.”

“Pretty protective of his friends huh? How noble.”

Ignis looked at her with a smirk. “To talk about another man while you’re here with me.”

Aranea smiled in response. “What can I say? You may be my favorite, but I can’t help but notice.”

The two stayed at their table conversing for a bit before they made their way throughout the territory. They found a bridge that connected to a park that was filled with the sylleblossoms, with fields blue as the eye could see. 

“Man, this is a lot of flowers…” Aranea stated. “It’s almost like an ocean.”

“Well, this is the main sight of Tenebrae. For us to not see any of them would be a bigger surprise. Here, let’s sit.” Ignis motioned to a bench that overlooked the park. Aranea took a seat and leaned back on the bench as she crossed her arms smuggly.

“So, are you happy I broke you out? Playing hooky ain’t so bad is it?”

“I must admit, so far it has been a quite relaxing day.” 

“What did I tell you? It’s good to get away every once in a while! But I can only think of one thing that’ll make it better. Wanna know what it is?”

“I’m almost afraid to ask. But sure.”

“You and me. Actually fighting against each other.”

“You want to spar? And you're sure?” 

“I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t sure. Come on. You can’t tell me you’re not curious about what would happen if we actually fought it out. I think it would be a great activity on our day off.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve left my best weapons at the hotel.”

“What a coincidence. So did I. Let’s get them and meet back up. I’m looking forward to it.”

It wasn’t long before the two of them were back at the empty park surrounded by the ocean of flowers. In each hand, Ignis held onto a dagger, watching as Aranea twirled her lance around her body. She looked up and smiled at him playfully. 

“This isn’t to the death of course. First one to get pinned wins. Sounds good?”

“Quite.”

Suddenly, she launched herself into the air. It was a move that he had become somewhat familiar with. It was only a matter of time until she reached him and he’d be ready. He flipped out the way just as she reached the ground and launched himself forward. Easily, she blocked his daggers with her lance as they performed a sort of dance. 

“Wow, you’re pretty quick!”

“Well, you can’t expect me to show you everything from fighting daemons.”

“A girl can dream can’t she? I’m just glad I’m able to see this stuff up close.” She purred. He responded with a smirk before giving himself some space. She watched as it looked as though he were channeling some type of electric magic through his weapons. 

“And you can use magic? How neat.”

“I’m hoping you keep that to yourself. It’s a little something I’ve been working on in secret. Though it’s not quite ready yet. So excuse me if it causes slight discomfort.”

The fight lasted a good while, with each side evenly matched. For every strike that was given by Aranea, Ignis was able to jump out of the way. For every swipe that Ignis threw, Aranea blocked with the pole of her lance. She took a step back, which Ignis took as an opening, tripping her. Landing on the ground, she looked up at Ignis amused as his dagger was placed gently against her throat.

“Who would have thought you’d make such a simple mistake?”

“What can I say? Maybe I’m tired. We can’t be perfect 100% of the time, right?”

Ignis smirked and got up from on top of her and helped her up. “Well, it would seem like I won. What do I get?”

“I never promised anything. But you can brag that you won against me. How about that? Now what should we do?” Aranea said looking at the sky. The sun was close to setting, and she didn’t really feel like dealing with daemons. “I kind of want a drink and dinner. My treat.”

Their evening ended quite differently than their day was spent, and it wasn’t long before they separated to their own rooms. Ignis was assaulted with questions, which he knew would happen, especially when he was aware that Aranea wasn’t present either. But he didn’t feel like really talking about his day. It was one of those things that, at least for a little while, he wanted to keep to himself. He’d tell them tomorrow when it came up.

The rest of the summit wore on, with the amount of things on Ignis’s mind growing from one thing to two. Granted that was never the plan, but no matter how much Ignis disliked it, life rarely went according to plan. He found himself constantly drawn to Aranea, whether it was before the meetings or after a long day of work. 

The last night of their summit was finally upon them. Aranea found herself at the same bar she was at her first night. In her hand was another glass of whiskey. She honestly thought that she wouldn’t get to the end of it, but she had done her part. She did what she was supposed to while keeping everything as vague as she could. It was the best she could do for her new favorite and his friends. How was she going to undermine a government if she couldn’t even be a good saboteur. She looked up to see a seat next to her being taken by Ignis. She waited for him to order and watched as his glass of wine was placed in front of him.

“So, I guess this is the last night that we’ll be able to dodge work. Are you gonna miss it?”

“I assure you, I was doing anything but dodging work. Just because you’re undermining your government doesn’t mean I was doing the same.” Ignis responded with a sip of wine. “But I must say I will miss Tenebrae. Insomnia isn’t really known for it’s flora.”

“That’s all you’ll miss?”

“May I ask what you mean?”

“When are we gonna talk about this thing between us? You can’t tell me that there’s nothing there.”

Ignis pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as he leaned on the bartop. “Would we even be able to make anything work between us?”

“We could always try what that cute Prince and Princess did. I heard they passed a notebook with each other through the years. Though that’s not my style and I don’t think it’s yours either.”

“Any other ideas?”

“Remember when I said there was really only one thing that would make me really consider leaving the Niflheim job? I never really told you what that one thing was did I?”

“Not that I can remember. Are you about to enlighten me?”

“I figured if you could beat me, then you had something of a good idea. After that I put in a request form to stay here. It got approved and my guys that were stuck in Gralea came in this morning. They’ll be here with me, and I’ll be working as a permanent ambassador.”

“So, I assume you’ll be transitioning from Niflheim.”

“That’s the plan. Granted, we can’t let them know about it. And we both know that Tenebrae isn’t really ready to hold off an attack from Niflheim. I figured I could help train them while feeding some bogus information? And if I get myself in trouble, I thought I could at least have some fun.”

“You speak as though it’s inevitable that Niflheim will invade.”

Aranea leaned back in her seat as she continued to look at her cup. “I didn’t want to worry you and your family, especially since I’ve already had a quick talk with the Princess. But Niflheim didn’t send me here just to get intel. They want to find any openings for an invasion. She was able to get in contact with the people of Accordo for extra insurance, and I’m sure you’ll find out about it soon enough. But with the vague information I’ve been feeding them, they have no way of knowing Tenebrae’s true standing. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”

“I’m assuming the money must be quite alluring to risk yourself like that.”

“Well, it’s a nice paycheck, I will admit. But the warm fuzzy feelings are an added bonus. Just think of it as a personal favor from me. But this also makes it easier to see each other. Then you can bring me that meal you owe me.”

“You appear to have thought of everything.” Ignis replied with a smile before taking a sip from his wine glass. “That takes one thing from my to do list, right?”

“Well, you did say something about being organized, right?” She said as she finished her drink. She watched as Ignis did the same and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Ignis followed suit, leaving enough gil for both drinks. The two continued to watch as people passed them by as they walked back to the hotel. It was a silent walk, both of them electing to not say much. They knew that while things were set in motion with circumstances in their favor, it would still be awhile before they could see each other again. And for some reason, there wasn’t a lot to say, even though there thousands of thoughts running through both of their minds. But none of the thoughts could be voiced. They got caught up in their throats and disappeared.

They reached the front of the hotel, and for the first time Ignis didn’t know what to say. He glanced at Aranea, who gave him a playful look.

“What’s the matter, Specs? Afraid you’re going to miss me?”

“Not as much as you think I will. But I’d be lying if I said your face wouldn’t pop up in my mind every once in a while.”

“Oh yeah? I won’t let that go to my head, I promise.”

Ignis smirked. “Well, I know that tomorrow will be incredibly busy. And we’ll be leaving as soon as everything is completed. So I feel like this is the best time to say our goodbyes, don’t you agree?”

“And this is how you-”

She was cut off by Ignis pressing his lips against her own. It was a surprise, but one she was hoping would happen. She felt his hand softly touch her cheek as he deepened the kiss slightly before pulling apart from her and giving her a smirk.

“That’s how I say goodbye.”

Aranea felt him start to take his hand from her cheek and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into another kiss. It was a long moment of pure bliss, with the rest of Tenebrae melting away. Perhaps the rest of Eos. They separated and she gave a playful smile.

“Oh Specs, you weren’t going to leave without giving me a chance to say bye back, were you? And I thought you had manners.”

Ignis chuckled again as he took a step away from Aranea. “Well, I can’t be the perfect gentleman all the time. And something tells me you wouldn’t want that either.”

“You know what? What do you say we find a hunt to do and not think about tomorrow or any day after that? I’m in the mood to kill something with you.”

“That sounds like a delightful idea.”


End file.
